The Origins and Dynamics of Inflation in Turkey: An SVAR Approach

This study aims to present empirical evidence on the relative importance of supply and demand-side factors in determining the fluctuations in the general level of prices in the Turkish economy. The employed strategy uses the view that supply and demand pressures can be distinguished from each other depending on the direction of their effects on price and quantity. After classifying the related economic variables as supply, demand, and common factors, the main determinants of domestic supply and demand were estimated econometrically using sample data from 2003:1–2021:4, and their relative contribution to inflation was calculated. By using these basic determinants, the estimated structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model shows that the pressures arising from the supply side are more dominant than the pressures of the demand side on the inflationary process in Turkey. The results indicate that the methodology suggested in this study will be useful in separating the factors that contribute to inflation, which has recently gotten out of control in Turkey and is gradually moving away from the targeted inflation. Policymakers considering these findings can reach optimal decisions in conducting the monetary policy toward the targeted level of inflation

AN ANALYSIS OF THE WINDOW REHABILITATION PROCESS TOWARDS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT THE BAUHAUS DESSAU

Considered a monument of early Modernism and one of the pioneering examples of modern academic architecture, the Bauhaus Dessau is a World Heritage Site that experienced three main phases of renovations: in 1976, between 1996-2006 and 2009-2012. This thesis examines the alterations of the building’s windows as part of these renovations in order to explore challenges related to sustainable retrofits in modern architecture. Specific emphasis is given on windows based on their critical role in energy performance as well as their extensive use throughout the building, making them character-defining elements for the Bauhaus. Preservation strategies are identified and analyzed from the perspectives of historic preservation and sustainability, following an overview of Modernism’s relationship to sustainable preservation and an introduction of the history of the site as well as its climate conditions. Changes of window elements in three major building parts, the Studio Wing, the Workshop Wing and the North Wing, are discussed to demonstrate the challenges of achieving improved energy efficiency with the least possible compromise from character-defining elements. Through the analysis of historic documentation, existing literature and energy management plans in addition to interviews with multiple stakeholders, this study explores the preservation decisions that were critical in the renovations of the windows. The results of the study illustrate that, although challenges common in preserving modern architecture were creatively overcome at the Bauhaus Dessau, there is still a need to consider future climate change scenarios

Exchange Market Pressure and Monetary Policy: The Turkish Case

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between monetary policy and the exchange market pressure index in Turkey for the 2002–2018 period with monthly data. To obtain the foreign exchange market pressure index, this study uses the model developed by L. Girton and D.E. Roper and is based fundamentally on the monetary approach to exchange rate determination and the balance of payments. The calculated exchange market pressure index is in accordance with the developments lived in financial markets and changes in monetary policy during the period under investigation. As for the relation between exchange market pressure index and monetary policy, a VAR model was set up and a Granger type causality analysis was carried out. According to Granger causality test results, there is a unidirectional causality running from domestic credit expansion to exchange market pressure and from domestic credit expansion to interest rate differential while there is a bidirectional causality between exchange market pressure and interest rate differential. Since increasing exchange market pressure means a depreciation of the Turkish Lira, the estimated VAR model’s results support the view that the Central Bank will increase the interest rate to temper the exchange market pressure

Learning by doing as a human capital factor: Case of Eskisehir furniture manufacturing sector

This study seeks to determine the impacts of learning by doing, human capital and R&D factors on firm’s output by using simultaneous equations system. In this study, medium and large-sized companies from furniture manufacturing sector in Eskisehir, Turkey are selected as the research domain and a database is generated based on the information collected through face-to-face interviews with company executives (or with officials designated by them), the financial statements of researched companies, and the records of Eskisehir Chamber of Industry. According to the estimation results obtained, the human capital stock, learning by practice phenomenon and the research and development expenditures have a linear impact on the company's total output. It is understood that, fixed capital stock and size of company become prominent in terms of their impact on the human capital, and the mentioned variables demonstrate a positive relation with the output. Likewise, the linear relationship between learning by practice and company size as well as wage level; and between research & development expenditures and company size are the factors that come forth in the explanation of the dependent variables

Next-generation sequencing reveals deep intronic cryptic ABCC8 and HADH splicing founder mutations causing hyperinsulinism by pseudoexon activation

Copyright © 2013 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc.Next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables analysis of the human genome on a scale previously unachievable by Sanger sequencing. Exome sequencing of the coding regions and conserved splice sites has been very successful in the identification of disease-causing mutations, and targeting of these regions has extended clinical diagnostic testing from analysis of fewer than ten genes per phenotype to more than 100. Noncoding mutations have been less extensively studied despite evidence from mRNA analysis for the existence of deep intronic mutations in >20 genes. We investigated individuals with hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia and biochemical or genetic evidence to suggest noncoding mutations by using NGS to analyze the entire genomic regions of ABCC8 (117 kb) and HADH (94 kb) from overlapping ~10 kb PCR amplicons. Two deep intronic mutations, c.1333-1013A>G in ABCC8 and c.636+471G>T HADH, were identified. Both are predicted to create a cryptic splice donor site and an out-of-frame pseudoexon. Sequence analysis of mRNA from affected individuals' fibroblasts or lymphoblastoid cells confirmed mutant transcripts with pseudoexon inclusion and premature termination codons. Testing of additional individuals showed that these are founder mutations in the Irish and Turkish populations, accounting for 14% of focal hyperinsulinism cases and 32% of subjects with HADH mutations in our cohort. The identification of deep intronic mutations has previously focused on the detection of aberrant mRNA transcripts in a subset of disorders for which RNA is readily obtained from the target tissue or ectopically expressed at sufficient levels. Our approach of using NGS to analyze the entire genomic DNA sequence is applicable to any disease

Refinement of the critical genomic region for congenital hyperinsulinism in the Chromosome 9p deletion syndrome

Version 2; peer review: 3 approved. Available from F1000 Research via the DOI in this recordBackground: Large contiguous gene deletions at the distal end of the short arm of chromosome 9 result in the complex multi-organ condition chromosome 9p deletion syndrome. A range of clinical features can result from these deletions with the most common being facial dysmorphisms and neurological impairment. Congenital hyperinsulinism is a rarely reported feature of the syndrome with the genetic mechanism for the dysregulated insulin secretion being unknown. Methods: We studied the clinical and genetic characteristics of 12 individuals with chromosome 9p deletions who had a history of neonatal hypoglycaemia. Using off-target reads generated from targeted next-generation sequencing of the genes known to cause hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (n=9), or microarray analysis (n=3), we mapped the minimal shared deleted region on chromosome 9 in this cohort. Targeted sequencing was performed in three patients to search for a recessive mutation unmasked by the deletion. Results: In 10/12 patients with hypoglycaemia, hyperinsulinism was confirmed biochemically. A range of extra-pancreatic features were also reported in these patients consistent with the diagnosis of the Chromosome 9p deletion syndrome. The minimal deleted region was mapped to 7.2 Mb, encompassing 38 protein-coding genes. In silico analysis of these genes highlighted SMARCA2 and RFX3 as potential candidates for the hypoglycaemia. Targeted sequencing performed on three of the patients did not identify a second disease-causing variant within the minimal deleted region. Conclusions: This study identifies 9p deletions as an important cause of hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia and increases the number of cases reported with 9p deletions and hypoglycaemia to 15 making this a more common feature of the syndrome than previously appreciated. Whilst the precise genetic mechanism of the dysregulated insulin secretion could not be determined in these patients, mapping the deletion breakpoints highlighted potential candidate genes for hypoglycaemia within the deleted region.Wellcome TrustRoyal Societ

Systematic genetic testing for recessively inherited monogenic diabetes: a cross-sectional study in paediatric diabetes clinics

Data availability: The datasets supporting the current study have not been deposited in a public repository due to institutional ethics restrictions but are available from the corresponding author on request.This is the final version. Available from Springer via the DOI in this record. AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Current clinical guidelines for childhood-onset monogenic diabetes outside infancy are mainly focused on identifying and testing for dominantly inherited, predominantly MODY genes. There are no systematic studies of the recessively inherited causes of monogenic diabetes that are likely to be more common in populations with high rates of consanguinity. We aimed to determine the contribution of recessive causes of monogenic diabetes in paediatric diabetes clinics and to identify clinical criteria by which to select individuals for recessive monogenic diabetes testing. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1093 children from seven paediatric diabetes clinics across Turkey (a population with high rates of consanguinity). We undertook genetic testing of 50 known dominant and recessive causes of monogenic diabetes for 236 children at low risk of type 1 diabetes. As a comparison, we used monogenic diabetes cases from UK paediatric diabetes clinics (a population with low rates of consanguinity). RESULTS: Thirty-four children in the Turkish cohort had monogenic diabetes, equating to a minimal prevalence of 3.1%, similar to that in the UK cohort (p = 0.40). Forty-one per cent (14/34) had autosomal recessive causes in contrast to 1.6% (2/122) in the UK monogenic diabetes cohort (p 10%) assisted the identification of the dominant (all p ≤ 0.0003) but not recessive cases (all p ≥ 0.2) in Turkey. The presence of certain non-autoimmune extra-pancreatic features greatly assisted the identification of recessive (p < 0.0001, OR 66.9) but not dominant cases. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Recessively inherited mutations are a common cause of monogenic diabetes in populations with high rates of consanguinity. Present MODY-focused genetic testing strategies do not identify affected individuals. To detect all cases of monogenic paediatric diabetes, it is crucial that recessive genes are included in genetic panels and that children are selected for testing if they have certain non-autoimmune extra-pancreatic features in addition to current criteria.Wellcome TrustRoyal SocietyNational Institute for Health Researc

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Hyperprolactinemia in Children and Adolescents: National Survey

Conclusion: We present the largest cohort of children and adolescents with hyperprolactinemia in the literature to date. Hyperprolactinemia is more common in females and cabergoline is highly effective and practical to use in adolescents, due to its biweekly dosing. Indications for surgery in pediatric cases need to be revised